Capture the Wild Photography Contest

Meet the 2005 Winning Photographers

Richard Akitt

“My interest in photography began as a way to catalogue my own outdoor adventures and the stunning landscapes I found myself traveling through. To this day I am most inspired by the sometimes subtle moments that reveal themselves when I’ve worked hard to reach a particular place. My camera has become a constant companion on trips, a tool for capturing that rare beauty that is so easily overlooked. I consider it a privilege to not only view such moments, but also be able to share them with others."

“Approach was shot while getting ready to hike over to Pigeon Spire. I caught this climber as they approached the west face of Snowpatch Spire in the Bugaboos. Approaching a long route is always full of anticipation and a sense of vulnerability as you stroll beneath such monstrous walls. This image was taken with a Nikon F90x and Nikon 28-200 zoom lens."

“The Moon over Snowpatch col shot came from this year’s pilgrimage back to the Bugaboos. I spent our last morning there sitting around camp capturing the sunrise. As the warm glow lightened toward harsh daytime lighting I saw the moon setting between Snowpatch and Bugaboo Spire. This image was taken with a Nikon D70s and a zoom lens at 200 mm (300mm equivalent) lens.”

Richard is a Calgary based photographer who is currently working on turning his passion for making images into a profession.

Robert Berdan

"My passion for photography started with photographing microscopic organisms in a drop of pond water. This interest expanded to wildlife and nature in general. I have been photographing since the age of 15 and my passion has grown with time. Alberta is a special place to live because we have an opportunity to photograph such a wide variety of animals and landscapes. We need to preserve wilderness areas in Alberta and across the country for future generations and when my photographs can help do this it brings me great satisfaction. More of my photographs can be viewed at www.scienceandart.ca. I make my living building web sites, teaching and taking photographs and I love being outdoors with my camera."

“Aspens – This photograph taken with a Nikon Digital Camera and 80-200 mm Zoom lens from the side of the road while scouting locations for a winter workshop. The mountains in the distance are completely hidden by the blowing snow. Winter is one of my favorite times to photograph wildlife and landscapes. To see more of my winter photographs see the December 2005 issue of PhotoLife magazine."

“I See You – This portrait was taken at the Cochrane Ecological Reserve North of Cochrane. This reserve breeds and releases Swift foxes into the wild. I have donated photographs to help the reserve raise money for animal breeding and rehabilitation. To learn more about the Swift Fox and the Cochrane ecological reserve please visit their web site: www.ceinst.org. This picture was taken with a Nikon D1 digital camera, 300 mm F2.8 lens.”

Peter Biro

"My inspiration for photography comes from a love of the outdoors, but also a love for photography itself. I try and spend as much time outdoors as possible, with nature photography a focus of my time spent outside. I’ve been photographing seriously for about six years now. I started by using a 35mm film slr, then acquired medium and large format equipment, and now find myself mostly shooting digital. I recommend digital to everyone now!"

“This photo was taken in Kananaskis Country on the Karst Spring trail where all the lush mosses caught my eye. It was taken at around 6 pm on a bright day in full shade, so I applied a warming filter to counteract some of the strong blue cast pics take on in such light. Exposure was 1/10 sec that allowed the water to blur, but not too much, to convey a sense of the fast water movement. Taken using a Kodak Pro SLR/c camera and 20mm lens at ISO 160.”

Bob Christopher

Bob Christopher is a 58 year old retired physical education teacher who now pursues his love for the outdoors through his photography. Travelling to unusual and interesting locations to do photography and to enjoy the world of nature is his passion. Bob is a graduate of the Outdoor Pursuits Program at the University of Calgary.

His two winning images were taken in the United States during two separate photo excursions along with his wife, and fellow photographer, Vivian Christopher.

The Patterns in Wilderness entry is of Antelope Canyon near Page, Arizona. This is one of Bob’s favorite locations and one that produces excellent results as long as there is no rain in the forecast while he is in the depths of this slot canyon. The International Nature entry is from his work in Death Valley, California. The image was made during the early morning hours. Trudging across the Mesquite Dunes at Stovepipe Wells in the dark searching for the location where the patterns of this geologically rich environment are found always produces an elevated heart rate from the physical exercise as well as the anticipation of capturing the scene on film. The image was made as the sun broke over the horizon.

Bob owes much of his interest and success in photography to the strong support of his wife, three adult children and his parents. While on his last month-long photo shoot, Bob’s father, Les Christopher, passed away and Bob wishes to dedicate his interest in photograhy and the outdoors to his father.

Richard Cross

“I am in construction working in Calgary, Alberta. I do not make any kind of living from photography, as it is just a hobby for me. I feature wildlife photography and have hopes of selling photos in the future to make some income from it."

“The Lazy Days of Summer photo of a lion was taken in the San Diego Wildlife Park. It was very hot on this particular day as we found the lions being lazy in the heat of the day. While the group was lying there, the one picked up his head, yawned and laid right back down. The photo was taken in January of 2005 with a Canon EOS 20D camera with a 300mm zoom lens.”

Peter A. Dettling

Peter A. Dettling, 33, is an award-winning photographer and painter whose passion for the natural world has taken him all over the globe, from the Galapagos Islands to Alaska’s far north, and from the Grand Canyon to the Swiss Alps. For the last decade, since he first visited the Rocky Mountains in 1996, Peter’s main focus has been photographing and painting the wildlife, people and places of the Yellowstone to Yukon region.

“Since I traveled first time through the Rocky Mountains, back in 1996, I was fascinated by the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and I always wanted to take one day sometime to document the fascinating rut ritual of the bighorn. A professional nature photographer and friend from Montana told me about some great locations for photographing the bighorn up near Jasper. The following three years one could find me each November up in Jasper looking for those ‘mountain royals’ and what I could observe exceeded by far my expectations. Jasper National Park is in many respects one of the greatest place on earth for a nature lover and photographer, no doubt about it!"

“The photo with the two rams ‘leaning’ their heads against each other was taken on one of my first trips up to Jasper. I found a herd with a few rams in ‘full rut’ some distance away from the road, tourists and trucks. It was amazing to watch their behavior in the cold early morning mountain air, surrounded by some grand vistas. Luckily I was well prepared for the cold and after spending some time with the herd, the males got more active and I was lucky enough to photograph some great rut ritual behavior, just like the winning photo of the two rams taking a little rest from the stressful time of the rut, by leaning their heads against each other. They stood motionless in front of me just long enough for me to take some interesting shots."

“The second photograph, the one that won the grand prize, was also taken in Jasper, November 2003. It was again up near Jasper where I spotted a few rams lying down up on a ridge. I walked up to them and luckily they didn’t seem to care about my presence. The bighorn nearest to me was still lying down only a few meters away, as I had the idea to unpack my big 500mm canon f1:4 lens and try a ‘very, very close close-up’ of the ram in front of me. I approached him a bit more, closely watched by the bighorn, and suddenly could see an exceptional detail of the ram through my viewfinder. With great excitement I took a few shots and backed up. The animal was still lying down on his belly as I walked down the hill towards my car.”

Mundy Hackett

Mundy Hackett is a Missouri-based photographer and a PhD candidate at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying the carnivores of Missouri. He is a self-taught artist with an extensive background in wildlife biology and animal behavior.

He tries to capture the true essence of his subject matter, often looking for the graphical representation of an animal that may not adhere to normally taken images but provide a vision that leaves a tremendous impact on the viewer. His images are a unique blend of intimate portraiture of wildlife and exciting patterns in nature that often appear more painterly than photographic. With a special affinity for large carnivores, Mundy often tries to portray these magnificent creatures in a way that maximizes their power as wild animals.

Mundy’s images have been published in magazines, books, newspaper, and calendars around the world, and have garnered awards in many wildlife and nature contests. He won Best of Show honors at the 2005 Wildlife Society photography contest. This is his first time entering the CPAWS Capture The Wild photo contest.

His images can be viewed at local galleries and restaurants in and around his home of Columbia, Missouri, as well as at his website www.mundyhackett.com. He can be reached at mundy@mundyhackett.com

“The photo of the cougar was taken in Dickinson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri in June, 2005. “While I prefer to shoot only wild subjects, often it is necessary to capture certain perspectives in a captive setting, and when I first saw this cougar I knew that I would be able to capture a very intense image of it. I have been lucky enough to actually work with wild cougars in Utah during my career as a wildlife biologist, and while it is a sad testament that there are individuals in captivity, it is I believe my duty as a wildlife photographer to take every opportunity to use these poor souls to improve the broader understanding of their rightful place within the environment in North America."

“This large felid, graceful and powerful and beautiful, is in my opinion made more intense by the removal of color, save for the eyes and nose. The statement is simple: while I may look sweet, these looks can kill!”

Sara Rainford

The photo was taken at “The Cineplex”, a mixed climbing crag located behind Panther Falls on the Icefields parkway, about 15 minutes south of the Athabasca Glacier. The climb is called “Orgasmo” and is rated M10. The climber is Louis Julien-Roy, a talented and sponsored climber living in Canmore, Alberta.

“The first thing that caught my eye and moved me to capture this photo was the rime on the rock and the delicate curtain of ice cutting through diagonally to bottom left of frame. I had never seen this on previous visits. However this time, because it was earlier in the season, Panther Falls was not entirely frozen – the spray from the falls had created the rime. This is part of the beauty of ice and mixed climbing: the conditions are never the same. Temperature, humidity, and season all affect the formations. By the end of the day, the climbers had kicked down most of the curtain so I was glad to have captured this photo earlier in the day. I think it definitely adds to the texture and drama of the photo.”

Sara moonlights as a freelance photographer, shooting outdoor activities and special mountain weddings. Her work has appeared in several outdoor publications and catalogs and been on display as part of the Calgary Stampede International photo exhibit. She has also been the recipient of several prestigious photo awards including: 1998 Banff Mountain photography competition grand prize and the 2004 Canadian Geographic photo contest grand prize. In 2004, Sara’s image Musashi (see the 2002 Capture the Wild Gallery) was selected as the Banff Mountain Film Festival signature image and appeared on everything from banners to beer.

Wayne Simpson

“I am originally from Ontario and I have a newfound appreciation for the beauty and vastness of the Canadian Rockies. I have been especially interested in photography in the last two years, and have progressed very quickly in the last year. I find that I forget about the rush of everyday life when taking pictures, and make regular trips to Kananaskis as well as local parks in Calgary. I learn something new every time I go on a shoot, and only think about the possibilities of the next shoot when I am not taking pictures. It is not uncommon for me to be in Kananaskis before sunrise in an attempt to capture scenes that most people don’t have the opportunity to see. I would like to build a diverse collection of work, share my images with as many people as possible and learn from those with experience.”

David Wirzba

“Hello, my name is David Wirzba and ‘photography is my passion.’ I am married and have three teenage children. I live north of Lethbridge and work on a neighboring farm. The first image called The Wave was taken on remote, northern BLM land in Arizona. A limit of 20 people per day can access this place. During the 2005 Easter season, my family and I were able to hike to and photograph this amazing wonder. The second image is of Mount Assiniboine and was photographed in early July 2005. I went with a friend for a three-day trek. We had cloudy, rainy weather most of the time, but on the final day, we had a small window of opportunity to photograph the peak.”

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